DC Water and Sewer Authority

• Out of Service vs. In Service
• Why Hydrants May Have a Red Ring
• Reflective Bands Designate Fire Flow, Not Operational Status

Out of Service vs. In Service

Firefighters access status information on public hydrants while en route to an emergency. Status information is available to both the Authority and FEMS through a number of electronic devices, including laptops and handheld devices. Still, in order to give another visual clue to firefighters as they approach the scene of an emergency, the Out of Service ring lets them know to keep moving to the next available hydrant.

A red Out of Service ring

Identifies a particular hydrant as not being available for firefighting. Out-of-service rings are placed on hydrants by both DC WASA and FEMS. This information is an important extra precaution for firefighters who frequently make quick decisions to protect property and lives. The water distribution system is redundant so the firefighters have many other hydrants in the area available to them during an emergency and they can quickly eliminate those with Out of Service rings.

An In Service, Maintenance Scheduled indicator

Designates a fully operational hydrant that is available for use during a fire. Typical reasons why a "Requires Maintenance" ring is placed on a hydrant include a missing chain, a missing cap, or a leak that needs to be attended to at some point in time, but that does not render the hydrant unusable.

During inspection seasons, hydrants with neither tag either passed the inspection with no service needed, have not yet been inspected, or were inspected and the requisite maintenance has been performed.

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Why Hydrants May Have a Red Ring

Following are some of the reasons why a red ring is placed on a fire hydrant.

• Obsolete hydrants — If DC WASA cannot repair the hydrant or it is a model that cannot be retrofitted to the national standard, then the hydrant is scheduled for replacement. A hydrant is typically replaced within three weeks.
• Damaged hydrants — Fire hydrants can be damaged when struck by a vehicle, or from environmental elements, or from improper opening for authorized and unauthorized use.
• Inaccessible hydrants — Hydrants that cannot be accessed by firefighters are typically found at construction sites and roadway repairs where there is fencing or barriers that prevent the firefighter from hooking up to the hydrant (road or sidewalk reconstruction/repairs that interfere with a firefighter's ability to operate the hydrants may also result in an out-of-service designation.
• Water main repairs — DC WASA shuts off mains to make repairs, which in turn can restrict water flow to the hydrants. DC WASA crews place out-of-service rings on these hydrants until water is restored.

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Reflective Bands Designate Fire Flow, Not Operational Status

These colored reflective bands indicate two things to the fire department:

• The nozzle has been upgraded to the national standard for 4.5 inch nozzles. This standard enables engine companies from Virginia and Maryland to assist DC Fire and EMS during major emergencies in the District without the need for a special adapter. All new hydrants have the standard 4.5 inch nozzle. Some existing hydrants were upgraded with the standard nozzle. Hydrants that cannot be upgraded are systematically replaced in the upgrade program.
• The colors indicate expected fire flow for FEMS. White indicates that the nozzle is upgraded but the hydrant has not been flow tested yet.